Albus Severus Potter and the Tracks They Left Behind
by livelovesurf7
Summary: Join the son of Harry Potter, Albus Severus, on his journey along with his brother, James Sirius, as he begins his years at Hogwarts. The year takes an unexpected turn as Albus' worries soon come true, leaving everyone in shock. Albus befriends the son of long term enemy, Draco Malfoy, and together, they set out to change the judgmental views of the wizarding world.
1. Chapter 1

**Albus Severus Potter and the Tracks They Left Behind**

**By Emily Green**

**Chapter 1**

**Albus Severus Potter **said his last goodbyes and climbed onto the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾. He slowly walked down the isle as he peered into the compartments searching for someone to sit with. As he reached the end of the train, he finally spotted his brother, James Sirius, sitting across from Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione's Daughter, Rose, who had the same red hair as her father and the intelligence of her mother. It was Rose's first year at Hogwarts too. Both of them had been nervously awaiting this day for years.

James had dark wavy hair that always seemed to be an inch too long. He was entering his second year at Hogwarts. Just one year before, he had been in Albus' position and walked through the huge wooden doors leading to the Great Hall. He had anxiously waited his turn to be sorted into his house.

Headmaster Percy Weasley, Prefect and Head Boy during his time at Hogwarts, had called his name, "Potter, James."

As he made his way to the front of the Great Hall and climbed on to the stool overlooking the crowd, he heard Gasps and whispers,

"Potter?"

"Did he say Potter?"

"Is it him?"

"Harry's son has finally come to Hogwarts!"

That was the least of his worries. James remembered his father, Harry Potter, had told him many times the story about how the Sorting Hat almost sorted him into Slytherin. Only after Harry had secretly wished, "Not Slytherin," did the Sorting Hat reluctantly sort him into Gryffindor.

Now, as James looked over the sea of students dressed in black robes, he worried the hat might place him in Slytherin. The Sorting Hat tried to sort Harry in Slytherin. If the Sorting Hat was presented with another chance to sort a Potter, would it sort according to its original instinct?

Just then, a roar erupted above the crowd. It was the Sorting Hat who exclaimed, "Gryffindor!"

James sighed with relief as he climbed down from the stool and took his seat at the Gryffindor table. Every single head in the room turned as he walked by.

Albus stepped into the compartment and took a seat next to his brother who was already halfway through eating his third Chocolate Frog.

"Hey James, hey Rose!" Albus said.

"Hey," said Rose, smiling.

"Chocolate Frog?" asked James.

"Nah, I'm good," replied Albus.

"Look who I got!" exclaimed James, as he held out his wizard trading Card that came with chocolate frogs.

Albus read the writing at the top of the card, "Harry Potter."

"I still find it weird seeing our dad's name on a trading card!" James said, jokingly.

"Me too," said Albus, who was not really paying attention to the conversation. He was thinking about what his dad had just said, "If it really means that much to you, you can choose Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

Albus was a quiet boy, unlike his brother, who was very outgoing and seemed to find pleasure in teasing Albus. Albus had messy brown hair that never seemed to lay flat on his head. It was always sticking up at odd angles. He also had bright green, almond-shaped eyes. He was the only one of his brother and sister who resembled their father, Harry Potter. James looked similar to Harry's godfather, Sirius, while their sister, Lily Luna, was the spitting image of their mother, Ginny.

Just then, two of the people they least wanted to run into came to the doorway of the compartment. One of them was Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, the son of Draco Malfoy. Scorpius was a Slytherin who came to Hogwarts the same year as Sirius. According to James, Scorpius was just as devious as his father.

The other boy Albus did not recognize. He had light brown hair that came down to the top of his glasses. He was already dressed in his robes. Albus stared intently at the patch sewn onto the left side. It was the emblem of Slytherin. Albus was not surprised.

"Look who it is. It's the Potters and their little Weasley friend," Scorpius said, as he gave a disapproving look at Rose, who looked shyly down at her shoes. "My father told me to watch out for you," he said, as he glanced over to Albus. "He doesn't want me becoming friends with the wrong _type_."

The boy next to Scorpious gave a stifled laugh.

James was about to say something back when Fred pushed Scorpius out of the way and made his way over to take a seat next to James, glancing back to give Scorpius a dirty look.

"Hey, man," he said, giving James a high five.

Fred and James were best friends and they were also cousins. Fred was Uncle George and Aunt Aupelina's son. They had named their son after George's twin brother and best friend, who had died nineteen years earlier during the Battle of Hogwarts. Uncle George and Aunt Aupelina also had a daughter they named Roxanne.

Scorpius, who had lost interest in annoying them, left with his friend following behind.

"Who was that boy Scorpius was with?" Albus asked James.

"Oh _him_," James replied, acting disgusted. "That's Andrew Flynn, Scorpius' best friend. They are always together. He'll do anything that Scorpius tells him."

Just then, Rose's friend stepped into the compartment and took a seat next to her.

Albus had never met Rose's friend but he had heard many stories about her. He had seen her in pictures but he never knew how beautiful she actually was. As she entered the compartment, the sun that was setting in the distance illuminated her face and highlighted her long, curly, brown hair that bounced when she walked. Albus felt his face turn red as she turned toward him and smiled.

"Hey guys! Did you hear what just happened?"

"Hi Grace! What happened?" Rose Replied.

"Scorpius just tried to cast a spell on Teddy Lupin, but Teddy ended up using a transfiguration charm and turned him into a ferret. The Ministry could expel Scorpius because first term hasn't started and we are not allowed to use magic yet."

"I hope he is expelled!" James exclaimed. "That would be great for us! Then, we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore!"

Teddy Lupin was the son of Remus and Nymphadora Tonks, who had died respectively in the Battle of Hogwarts, nineteen years ago. Before they died, they declared Harry to be Teddy's godfather. Teddy was very good looking and had straight dirty blonde hair that always seemed to stay flat on his head, unlike Albus'. Teddy had graduated from Hogwarts two years before and never had trouble finding a girlfriend. When he was at Hogwarts, all the girls in his year seemed to love him. His current love interest was Bill and Fleur's oldest daughter, Victoire.

The engines on the Hogwarts Express started up and they began to depart from King's Cross Station at Platform 9 ¾. Albus took one more look out the window and spotted Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione with their son, Hugo. Next to them were his Mum and Dad. His mum had her hand on Lily's shoulder. She saw Albus looking out the window and she waved at him. He waved back and looked at his Dad. He gave him a reassuring smile just before the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station. Albus was off to Hogwarts to begin his wizarding journey, hopefully, as a Gryffindor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

They pulled out of the Station and watched the city of London slowly become smaller and less significant out the back window of the train as they progressed farther and farther into the countryside. They watched as the landscape around them slowly turned from the bustling city to rolling hills, which became greener and greener the longer they rode.

They traveled for many hours and watched the sun begin to set out of their window. The sky was illuminated with beautiful shades of pink and purple and then began to progressively turn darker. They could tell by the rocky mountains, which had once been rolling green hills, they were almost there.

Albus sighed. All he could do, now, was wait. The hat would determine his future and impact his entire life to come. The thought made him nervous. He could feel his eyelids becoming heavy and he struggled to keep them open, but his fatigue from worry took over. He drifted to sleep…

"Slytherin!" shouted the sorting hat.

Albus felt his heart nearly drop out of his chest. This could not be happening. There must be a mistake! However, there was no mistaking the cheers that erupted from the Slytherin table on the right of the Great Hall. Albus looked over to his brother. His brother couldn't believe it either. Albus reluctantly stood up and trudged his way over to the Slytherin table and took a seat next to Scorpius.

"Maybe you're not so bad after all," Scorpius said.

Albus couldn't bare to look at him. He just stared down at his plate filled with mashed potatoes, piled high with gravy and warm, flaky biscuits. In the center of the table he saw a deep, steaming dish of shepherds pie. All of the food looked mouthwatering and delicious, but Albus could not bring himself to eat. All he could think about was how awful the rest of his years at Hogwarts would be. The rest of the sorting continued, but Albus was not paying attention. His mind was somewhere else.

"Albus wake up!" James screamed, as he shook Albus.

Albus opened his eyes and looked around. He was still on the Hogwarts Express. By the look of it, most of the other kids had already left the train. The only people remaining aboard were Albus, Fred, James, Rose, and Grace.

"Thank God it was just a dream!" Albus exclaimed.

Rose and Grace were already dressed in their robes. James and Fred were pulling theirs out of their trunks.

"Come on," Fred said, "Everyone else has already left."

Albus pulled his trunk off of the overhead storage. He unlocked the latch and rummaged through his trunk to find his robe. He pulled it out and put it on over his clothes.

"Ready?" James asked.

"Ready," Albus replied. Albus flashed back to the conversation with his father.

Albus followed James, Fred, Rose, and Grace off the train and up to the castle.

"First years this way!" Hagrid called, trying to gather up the first years.

Albus and James ran over to him.

"'Ello Albus! 'Ello James!" Hagrid said, giving them a smile that showed through his long, mangled, grey beard.

"Hey!" Albus and James said in unison, as they both craned their neck to look up at the aged half-giant.

Albus and James both knew Hagrid very well. Their father had been very good friends with him even after Harry left Hogwarts.

Albus gathered with the rest of the first years and waited with Hagrid for their carriage to take them from the wizarding village of Hogsmead to the castle.

"See ya' in a few," James said to Albus, and he turned and ran up ahead, catching up with Fred. They climbed into the nearest carriage with other Gryffindor students they knew.

Albus looked around at the people surrounding him. He spotted Rose and Grace and made his way over to them.

Just then a carriage came up beside them and stopped. Albus stared, open-mouthed, at it. His brother wasn't kidding when he said the carriages were pulled by invisible creatures!

Albus, Rose, and Grace mounted the carriage along with three other first years. The remainder of the first years waited for the next carriage.

The invisible creatures began to pull the carriage into a dark forest. The rest of the students in the carriage seemed as nervous as Albus, waiting for the sorting.

After about ten minutes, Albus could see a tall wrought iron metal gate through the darkness up ahead. They slowly approached it and a tall, dark haired man asked for their names.

"Albus Potter," Albus replied, in turn.

The man looked up from his quill and parchment and smiled at Albus. Albus realized that this was none other than his father's good friend at Hogwarts, Neville Longbottom.

"Good luck to you, Albus!" Neville Exclaimed.

"Thank you, Professor Longbottom!" Albus replied.

Neville Longbottom had graciously come back to Hogwarts four years after his viscious dismemberment of Nagini. He filled in as professor of Herbology after Professor Sprout died from an unexpected encounter with Venomous Tentacula, a spiky plant that reaches out with its vines and squeezes the life out of the victim. Ten years later, Neville was appointed to Head of Gryffindor when Professor McGonagall retired from her position as Headmaster and Gryffindor Head. McGonagall was now busy enjoying her time as a guest lecturer for the Wizarding School Circuit.

After Professor Longbottom received everyone's names and had marked them down on his piece of parchment, the carriage continued. They turned around a bend up ahead and Hogwarts Catsle came into view. Albus stared in absolute awe at the giant castle.

The carriage came closer to the castle and stopped. They climbed off and were directed, by older students, in through the huge wooden doors at the front of the castle. They were herded and told to wait at the top of the marble staircase for the sorting to start. Soon, they were joined by other first years.

Albus looked at a blond haired boy with light blue eyes who was standing next to him. He was in the same carriage. The boy noticed him and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Niall Murphy," the boy replied in an Irish brogue. "I'm from Mullingar, Ireland."

"I'm Albus. Albus Potter. I'm from Godric's Hallow."

"Are… are you… the son of Harry Potter?" Niall stuttered, unknowingly.

"Yeah, I am." Albus replied. Their conversation was then interrupted by a witch with long, straight black hair who introduced herself to the crowd of nervous first years as Professor Chang, the head of Ravenclaw house.

"In just a few moments, you will all be directed into the great hall through these doors. You will then wait for me to call your name for your turn to be sorted. Sitting on a stool, a hat will be paced upon your head. The Sorting hat will determine the house you will be placed in based on where it believes you will have the greatest potential for success as a wizard. Then, you will join your classmates at your respective table. Good luck!"

Professor Chang turned and left. The crowd of first years became very quiet as they all stood, staring at the huge wooden doors in front of them.

A few minutes later, the wooden doors creaked open and revealed a huge room lined with four long brown tables with students dressed in black robes. At the head of the room stood another brown table perpendicular to the others. At this table sat the professors.

The crowd of first years made their way into the room and toward the head table. Albus looked up with astonishment at the ceiling, enchanted to look like the night sky. He could see stars and constellations sparkling in the sky above him. The giant room was lit by thousands of floating white candles.

When they reached the front of the room, Albus turned to see James sitting at the Gryffindor table next to Fred. The two appeared to be laughing about something.

As soon as the Great Hall quieted down, Headmaster Weasley stood up and welcomed everyone to another year at Hogwarts. Albus was only half listening as rules and reminders were covered. He was now more nervous than ever.

Before Albus realized, the sorting started. Professor Chang began reading off names alphabetically as the students each took their turn and stepped up to try on the Sorting Hat. For each person, the Sorting Hat let out a roar and announced their house.

Albus listened as Professor Chang read off a few names that he recognized.

"Miller, Grace." He watched as Grace climbed up the steps and sat on the stool.

The hat immediately shouted "Gryffindore!"

Grace let out a sigh and smiled as she made her way over to the Gryffindor table.

Albus became even more nervous now. It was almost his turn to be sorted.

"Murphy, Niall."

Niall made his way up to the stool and tried on the hat. This time, however, the sorting hat took a few minutes before deciding to place him in Slytherin.

This selection was followed by "Owen, Nigel," who was placed in Ravenclaw.

"Potter, Albus."

The Great Hall became dead silent when everyone heard his name. Every head turned and watched. Albus took a deep breath and slowly climbed the steps and sat on the stool. Professor Chang smiled at him and placed the hat on his head. Albus could feel himself shaking as thoughts rushed through his head. He looked over to the Gryffindor table on the left side of the room and saw James, Fred, and Grace. He looked at the Ravenclaw table and saw Nigel. He looked at the Hufflepuff table and lastly, at the Slytherin table on the right side of the hall and saw Niall, Scorpius, and Andrew.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Sorting Hat announced its decision.

"Slytherin!"


End file.
